BioWare announcesMass Effect 3: Extended Cut, a free DLC pack for Mass Effect 3 they hope will address widespread unhappiness with the conclusion of the action/RPG sequel. Here's word on the free DLC, which does not yet carry a release date:

BioWare, a Label of Electronic Arts Inc. announced Mass Effect™ 3: Extended Cut, a downloadable content pack that will expand upon the events at the end of the critically acclaimed Action RPG. Through additional cinematic sequences and epilogue scenes, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will give fans seeking further clarity to the ending of Mass Effect 3 deeper insights into how their personal journey concludes. Coming this summer, the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut will be available for download on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC for no extra charge*.

“We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.” “We are all incredibly proud of Mass Effect 3 and the work done by Casey Hudson and team,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder of BioWare and General Manager of EA’s BioWare Label. “Since launch, we have had time to listen to the feedback from our most passionate fans and we are responding. With the Mass Effect 3: Extended Cut we think we have struck a good balance in delivering the answers players are looking for while maintaining the team’s artistic vision for the end of this story arc in the Mass Effect universe.”

Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series added, “We have reprioritized our post-launch development efforts to provide the fans who want more closure with even more context and clarity to the ending of the game, in a way that will feel more personalized for each player.”

MacLeod wrote on Apr 5, 2012, 09:43:I still don't know how they purposefully wrote themselves into a corner with their universe... all the mass relays being destroyed... well that's great, how are you going to ever do another game in the same universe now, when there's no way to get from system to system?

They've said that any future ME games will be set during or before the events of ME3.

To be honest, I don't mind the gates being destroyed so much. Everyone figured that the Mass Effect story was the START of the ME universe, when it is in fact the end (basically.) That was a nice curveball.

It still doesn't explain how all the gates blow up without eitherA) Destroying every solar system they're inorB) (if you prefer the "the energy gets sent to the next gate and doesn't erupt!" theory) how that energy, once it reaches the final gate, doesn't eradicate life from ~25% of the galaxy.

And I still say that the whole indoctrination theory, even if that wasn't what the actual plan was, they should have just came out and said "Damn... you caught us... we didn't think anyone would catch that until we released our first DLC. *whispers to dev team* scrap everything and work on this story!". Because that idea is 100x more creative than their A, B or C endings.

Yeah, that's what I said too a few weeks back. It's a theory that's a little shaky here and there, but it can be MADE to fit. And as a writer, if someone has a better idea than you do, and nobody knows what your original idea was, just grab it.